Fr. 284 $10 1878 Silver Certificate Extremely Fine. With the
addition of this new piece from the Trask Collection, the census
for Fr. 284's has risen to four. One is a damaged VG that has been
off the market since 1986, and the other two are just about the
same grade as this beauty, an XF that we sold in June 1994 for
$19,800, and the Shiva example, called About Extremely Fine, which
realized $27,500 in 1995. This note is problem-free, with super
margins, bold colors and not a hint of a problem, repair or
restoration of any kind. It has much of the visual impact of an
uncirculated note, and, in a side-by-side comparison, this is very
likely the finest known. The Hopper hand-autographed signature is
in a bold, deep brown, and it contrasts beautifully with the red
and blue overprints on this colorful and extremely rare note. This
beauty is one of the Type Note highlights of this incredible
collection formed from just after World War II until 1956. It has
been over a decade since any Fr. 284 has been available at public
auction, and the pent-up demand combined with the technical merits
and tremendous visual impact of this extreme rarity could propel
this note near or past the $50,000 mark.From the collection of Malcolm A. Trask.